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EMERGENCY GRANT PROGRAM

A Guide to the Project Success Emergency Grant Program

OVERVIEW

ABOUT PROJECT SUCCESS

In collaboration with Federal Student Aid, Trellis Company, a nonprofit corporation, works with participating

minority-serving institutions to provide students, faculty, staff, and campus/district leaders with resources,

support, and information to address student recruitment, retention, degree completion, and cohort default

rates. These services are offered at no cost to the institution.

ABOUT TRELLIS

Trellis is a nonprofit company with origins in administration of federal student loan programs. As such,

Trellis has more than 30 years of experience working with students, higher education institutions, and

community partners to expand educational opportunities and successes for students.

PURPOSE OF THE EMERGENCY GRANT PROGRAM

To address student retention challenges, Trellis is offering emergency grant funding for your campus to assist

students with unforeseen financial need. For many low-income students, an unforeseen expense for something

like a car repair or medical bill can create a financial emergency that threatens their college hopes. While

typically not large expenses, they can be enough to force these students into a tough choice: stay in college

or pay the bill. Research has shown that when colleges quickly pay these unforeseen, emergency bills on

behalf of students, more low-income college students stay enrolled and on track for graduation.

Referral to Project Success Coaching

Schools should encourage students to utilize Trellis’ financial coaching program (after emergency grant funds

have been provided to address a student’s immediate need) to help empower the student to avoid future

emergencies to the extent possible, through a combination of additional planning and accessing community

resources, as appropriate.

Trellis coaches use a student-centered approach that encourages critical thinking and planning. Coaching sessions

are individualized to the needs of each student, confidential, delivered virtually (via phone and video), and free.

More information about Trellis financial coaching, including an introduction to the coaching staff,

resources, student testimonials, and access to our appointment scheduling system, can be found

at http://www.aie.org/coaching.

This guide is meant to assist you in completing the “Project Success Emergency Grant Program Application for Academic Year 2018 - 2019” by providing background information about the program and context for questions asked on the application. Please submit any questions on application content or technical concerns to projectsuccessgrants@trelliscompany.org. For questions on how the Emergency Grant Program complements other components of Project Success, please contact your Trellis consultant.

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INSTITUTIONAL ELIGIBILITY

Institutions using at least one other Trellis Project Success service are invited to apply for emergency grant

funding as part of the holistic services offered through Project Success. The award process is non-competitive;

awards are approved based on demonstration of a robust program plan meeting all eligibility requirements.

Institutions that do not qualify for this award cycle may re-submit in any subsequent cycle, depending on

availability of funding, and should address any reviewer concerns.

Selected institutions will agree to adhere to the following programmatic guidelines:

• Funding amounts are based on tiers correlating to student enrollment.

• Campuses will receive a $5,000 one-time capacity building award prior to the initial award disbursement.

Additional capacity building funding may be available for subsequent years, pending availability of funding and

approval of a renewal application. The capacity award is for the institution’s use to help to set up the program.

• Schools will administer this program from an office other than the Financial Aid Office.

• Colleges are strongly encouraged to refer students requesting emergency grants to additional campus,

community, and Project Success resources to supplement the grant, address root causes or contributing

factors to the financial emergency, and further support the student’s persistence.

• Campuses will provide sustainability plans for the grant program, developed in conjunction with their Trellis

consultants, as part of the reporting requirements.

TRELLIS’ COMMITMENT

In addition to providing funding for emergency awards, Trellis commits to support your school in the

development of the program by providing:

• Consultation on defining “emergency”

• Guidance/templates/best practices to assist in developing the student application, review process,

promotional materials and communication plan, etc.

• Financial coaching to any interested emergency grant applicants (after grant funding approval or denial;

coaching will not be a requirement for emergency grant application consideration)

• Opportunities to learn from peer institutions participating in the Trellis Emergency Grant Program

INSTITUTIONAL APPLICATION PROCEDUREComplete the Project Success Emergency Grant Program Application for Academic Year 2018 – 2019 and

email it, along with all required attachments, to projectsuccessgrants@trelliscompany.org by noon CDT on

the date provided to you by your Trellis consultant. You will be required to include the following documents

at the time of application:

• Signature forms: print a hard copy to gather the necessary signatures, and then scan the completed

document and submit as a PDF

• A copy of your Student Application; you may use the Trellis Emergency Grant Application template instead

• If your institution is not located in Texas, a copy of your IRS W-9 form

• Completed CrushFTP sign-up form

• Optional for all applicants: additional attachments such as tables and graphs that support your answers

to the application questions

Be sure your institution meets all requirements and fully understands how this program works before spending

time completing the various application materials. Institutional commitment to the program has been key to

past grantees’ successes.

• Begin collaborating right away with the people who will need to provide input on your plans and ultimately

sign-off on your application. This should include your president or chancellor and your colleagues in areas

responsible for budgeting, financial aid, processing payments, and reporting enrollment data to the National

Student Clearinghouse.

• Collaborate with your colleagues in Institutional Research or other relevant departments to complete the

reporting documents.

What to Expect if Your Application is Approved

1. Trellis will email a Grant Agreement to the designated emergency grant program primary contact

at your institution.

2. Institution will return the completed Grant Agreement to Trellis.

3. Trellis will disburse the $5,000 capacity building grant funds on or after July 1, 2018.

4. Trellis will make the first (fall term) disbursement of emergency grant funding on or after

September 1, 2018.

5. Trellis will make the second (spring term) disbursement of emergency grant funding on or after

January 15, 2019 (conditional upon receipt of fall term report).

6. Depending on funding availability, renewal applications and guidelines will be available summer 2019.

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REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Data Elements to be Reported to Trellis

Each January, July, and September, schools are expected to report to Trellis the following data elements

for students who have received a Trellis emergency grant during the preceding term:

Clearinghouse Enrollment Data to be Reported Each Semester

Reporting to the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) each term of enrollment data for all students,

including race/ethnicity information, will facilitate more robust datasets and increase the ability of

professionals to support all students to completion.

Each February and October, schools are expected to provide de-identified NSC enrollment data (graduated,

full-time, half-time, less than half-time, withdrew, or session not attended) to Trellis for students who have

received emergency grants.

This reporting will require coordination with the campus office or department responsible for NSC reporting,

to ensure that a data request is submitted to the Clearinghouse well in advance of each reporting deadline.

• Date of birth

• Gender

• Parent(s) attainment of associate’s degree or higher

• Ethnicity

• Race

• Marital status of student

• Dependents of student

• Veteran status

• Foster child status

• Application submission date

• Award decision date

• Institution name

• Fully paid date

• Support services to which student was referred

• Term/semester

• Year

• Category of aid (based on categories provided by

Trellis on the reporting form, such as utilities,

housing/rent, food, medical/dental, personal

automobile expenses, public transportation/bus

passes, child care, fuel, etc.)

• Total requested

• Total awarded

• Total denied

• Total paid

• Reenrollment data

Narrative Reports

Trellis requests that institutions submit narrative reports on program progress and sustainability efforts every

year via a brief online survey. These reports are a key component of this grant, as the successes and challenges you

share help us to learn more about how to best help students address obstacles to program completion.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Trellis recorded webinar “Dash Emergency Grant” discusses the structure, success, and best practices of a

long-term emergency grant program administered by Great Lakes, another GA participating in Project Success

• Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Emergency Aid Network, including sample application templates

• Wisconsin Hope Lab publication “Distributing Emergency Aid to College Students: Recommendations and

Sample Distribution Protocol” (Includes sample application template.)

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Students facing financial emergencies are in crisis. Colleges need basic information to pay students’ emergency

expenses but don’t want to create unnecessary barriers to access through complicated application processes.

The easier colleges can make it for students to quickly benefit from emergency funds, the sooner they will return

their focus to school and move toward completion.

STUDENT ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES

Award amounts:

• Average award anticipated: $500

• Preferred award limit: $1,000

• Schools may use their discretion to award up to $1,500, if needed. Trellis seeks to serve as many students as

possible; however, award amounts should be sufficient to cover the emergency at hand. Trellis defers to the

school’s discretion.

Fund use:

• Funds should be allocated for unforeseen circumstances only.

• Funds are intended to be provided on a one-time basis for students.

• Assistance is intended to support students without other economic resources. Students should demonstrate

financial need; schools will define how this is determined.

• Funds are not to be used to cover school expenses (parking, fines, tuition, books, supplies, required tools/

equipment, etc.).

• Funds should not be added to a student’s ledger or statement of account.

Student status:

• Must be undergraduate, degree-seeking students enrolled part-time or full-time.

• Graduate students are not eligible for emergency grants.

• Must be enrolled during the semester in which emergency grant funds are awarded (students may be

eligible for summer funding if they are enrolled in summer classes or they were enrolled in both the

previous and upcoming fall semesters).

• Trellis Company places no restriction on number of credits earned; schools may include additional

requirements at their discretion.

STUDENT APPLICATION PROCESS AND PROCEDURES

THE STUDENT APPLICATION

You may use the included Trellis Emergency Grant Application template in its entirety, modifying it to include

additional items as you wish, or you may develop your own application. We recommend you collect the data

points requested on the student grant disbursement report (template included with your application materials)

during the application process to ensure you have all data required to submit the report to Trellis.

• May be online or hard copy.

• Should be as brief and student-friendly as possible.

• Should include documentation of the student’s expense. A few examples: For a car repair, a student

should provide a mechanic’s estimate. For backup child care, a student should provide a bill from the

child care provider.

• Request the emergency payment due date on the application; schools should keep in mind that the

funds will need to be disbursed by that date.

• Collect any data reporting elements (under “Reporting Requirements: Data Elements to be Reported

to Trellis” above) that are not collected elsewhere through institutional processes.

By submitting this emergency grant request, I acknowledge and give consent

for data to be shared with the Department of Education and Trellis Company, or

their representatives, as part of Project Success. I understand that my information

will not be sold for any purpose and will not be distributed to other parties.

Examples of data shared include, but are not limited to: student name and ID,

enrollment status, annual income, EFC, emergency request amount, emergency

request type, etc.

PRINT FULL NAME HERE:

Signature:

Date:

YOUR APPLICATION MUST INCLUDE STUDENT WAIVER AUTHORIZING DATA. EXACT LANGUAGE TO USE IS BELOW:

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INTERVENTIONS

We know small grants help low-income students weather financial emergencies and stay in school and on

course for completion. However, emergency grants are only one piece of the puzzle in helping students stay

on track. When students connect with an advisor and other long-term resources, they are more likely to stay

enrolled until degree completion. Grantees have found following up with students and offering them these

long-term resources to be an important student success strategy.

• The student application should include messaging directing students to future resources (post-emergency),

such as campus and community resources, public benefits, and financial literacy/planning resources that

can address the root causes and contributing factors leading to their unforeseen expenses and assist with

long-term planning.

• As part of the application, we recommend the school:

– Meet one-on-one with the student seeking an emergency grant before making the award determination

and ask, “What will you do if you don’t get this funding?” It’s the best way to assess the magnitude of their

financial emergency.

– Encourage students to meet with a Trellis financial coach, following resolution of the emergency.

Students can book a coaching appointment at http://www.aie.org/coaching/.

AWARD DETERMINATIONS

It is imperative that schools develop seamless coordination between student support offices and the office

disbursing grant funds, to pay emergency expenses quickly and assist the student in returning his or her

attention to their academic commitments.

• Develop guidelines/evaluation rubric to help ensure consistency in the decisions of review committee:

– Establish a definition of “emergency.” Project Success recommends: “A financial emergency is defined as

an unforeseen expense that, if not resolved quickly, could lead to the student’s departure from the college

and loss of momentum toward completion.”

– Provide examples of what might and might not qualify. We expect that these examples will grow and

evolve as the program progresses; we recommend that you learn from early applications to help refine

your guidelines.

• Establish a process for reviewing and making an award determination and notifying the student of the approval

or denial within two business days of receiving a completed application and required documentation.

AWARD DISBURSEMENTS

Students face unique pressures and challenges and shouldn’t be judged for the financial circumstances that drive

them to apply for assistance. The goal is to prevent as many students as possible from stopping or dropping out

due to unforeseen expenses. We have seen that it is important for those making award determinations to meet

frequently to calibrate their decisions.

• Disburse each emergency grant within two business days (see below) of approving it, by either paying the

third party named in the submitted documentation or issuing a gift card (for the specific business to be

reimbursed) that can be used to pay the unforeseen expense.

– As a reminder: these timing requirements are in place to help ensure that students’ needs are met in an

expedited manner. In considering ways to meet the requirements, keep in mind the ultimate goal. For

example, even if you are unable to physically deliver a check to an automotive mechanic within two days,

as long as you have communicated with the mechanic and they have accepted your assurance that payment

is forthcoming, that would meet the requirement that the student’s emergency was resolved within the

required time period.

• Payments must not be disbursed to students directly. However, it is acceptable to give students a vendor-

specific gift card (such as a grocery store card) that cannot be used for general purposes. General-use or

cash-value gift cards (such as Visa gift card) are not allowed.

An emergency, by definition, demands swift action, and the financial emergencies our grant addresses

are no different. For grants to have their desired effect—keeping students on track—institutions should act

quickly on grant applications and then get funds to the third parties requiring payment.

Many schools have questions about establishing processes to facilitate disbursements to third parties within

two business days. Some options we have encountered while working with colleagues:

Purchasing cards

Many schools can designate

a purchasing card for the

program and eliminate

the need for a W-9. For

other schools (depending

on institutional policy), use

of a P-card can remove

the need for immediate

documentation; they are

able to disburse the funds

first, if a W-9 is received

within that billing cycle.

Pre-identified vendors

Pre-entering W-9s can speed

up the process. For utilities,

for example, schools can

approve the company that

covers their students ahead

of time. For vendors such as

auto repair, the school may

already have vendors they

work with; alternately, they

could reach out to all vendors

in a certain radius of the

campus and pre-populate

their accounting system with

W-9s from those vendors.

Vendor gift cards

Cards that can only be used

at approved vendors, such

as grocery stores, may be

acceptable to give directly

to students. General use

gift cards cannot be used.

DISBURSEMENT WITHIN TWO BUSINESS DAYS

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COMMUNICATION AND TRAINING

Small grants that address unexpected expenses can keep students who are on the edge financially enrolled,

allowing them to progress toward completion. But small grants are only helpful when students know the grants

are available, feel it’s acceptable to ask for help, and know where to go to get the funds. In our experience, we’ve

found that faculty and staff referrals are key, as faculty and staff are often the first points of contact for students.

Promotion materials can also help disseminate information about the availability of emergency grants.

• Educate faculty and staff about the availability of the program.

• Ensure that all grant dollars and contributed funds earmarked for making emergency grants are awarded to

eligible students by the end of the summer term each grant year; unused funds may result in a reduction of

future grant funding.

• Do everything possible to ensure that everyone involved in award decisions agrees on what constitutes a

financial emergency for students. As noted previously, for purposes of this grant program, we recommend

that a financial emergency be defined as an unforeseen expense that, if not resolved quickly, could lead to

the student’s departure from the college and loss of momentum toward completion. The word “unforeseen”

is key in our experience. We urge asking students, “What will you do if you don’t get this funding?”

• Be compassionate toward students requesting assistance and don’t judge them for their financial situations.

They’ve shown an admirable commitment to building a brighter future by enrolling at your institution and

asking for support.

• Train faculty and staff who work with your students about the availability of Project Success and the Emergency

Grant program and help them understand their key role in referring students. Faculty and staff tend to make

fantastic ambassadors for emergency grants, especially when you can follow up with them after they refer

students to you. They can help you assist many more students, which will help you retain many more students.

66032

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About Trellis CompanyTo learn more, visit www.trelliscompany.org/about-trellis.

To learn more about college and career planning, visit www.aie.org.

Contact us(800) 845-6267projectsuccessgrants@trelliscompany.orgP.O. Box 83100Round Rock, Texas 78683-3100

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